Suction cleaning apparatus



c. H. TAYLOR 2,390,196 u SUGTION CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 5, 1942 2 sheets-sheet 1 Dec# 4, 1945.

INVENTOR CHHEES hf T/IYLQ@ AATTORNEY Patented Dec. 4, 1945 SUCTION CLEANING APPARATUS Charles H. Taylor, Springfield, Mass., assigner to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania- Application December 5, 1942, Serial No. 467,920

(Cl. 18S-37) 4 Claims.

My invention relates to a suction cleaner of the type in which the dirt-collecting bag is enclosed within the suction cleaner casing, and it relates more particularly to the assembly of the bag within the casing.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved cleaner of the type set forth above.

Another object v is to facilitate periodic removal of the accumulated dirt and litter from the suction cleaner.

A further object is to provide improved means for retaining the bag within the casing, which means permits ready removal of the bag from the casing for emptying it.

These and other objects are effected by my invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in accordance with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a View, partly in side elevation and partly in section, showing a suction cleaner embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarged scale, showing details of construction;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken n line III- III of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a dust bag assembly shown removed from the suction cleaner casing; and,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarged scale, showing a slightly modified form of construction.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. 1, there is shown a suction cleaner of a handle-propelled type which is provided with a nozzle l0 at the front, a light bul-b l2, a chamber I4 enclosing a suction fan and a driving motor (not shown), and a throat i6 leading from the nozzle I0 to an intermediate chamber generally designated by the numeral I l. In the nozzle Il) is mounted the usual brush roll I9 driven by a belt 20 from the motor in the chamber I4. A removable outer decorative cover 22 may be vsuitably secured to the cleaner casing, if desired. A handle 23 is suitably pivoted to the suction cleaner in the usual manner.

The intermediate chamber Il, which is disposed above and, preferably, straddles the throat t6, encloses a dirt-collecting unit comprising a pervious bag 24 which retains the dirt and dust but permits the air to filter therethrough, and a foraminous outer casing 25 enclosing said bag. The -bag 2'4 may be made of the usual cloth, or it may be made of porous paper, so as to be removed and disposed of, 'either 4as soon as it is filled with dirt, or after repeated emptying, and when its porosity has been spent. The foraminous casing 25 is preferably made of a wire screen mesh of sufficient rigidity so as to form an open work abutment or support for the outer surface of the bag 24 when the latter is distended, without interfering with the flow of air through the bag as would be the case if the outer surface ofthe bag were to come in Contact with a surface which is altogether solid or one which is perforated at intervals only. The bag 24 is provided with an upper discharge opening or outlet 2'! which is folded upon itself and retained in the closed position by the usual clamp 28. The foraminous receptacle 25 is provided with a cover 29, hinged at 3B, and suitably clamped in its closed position by a latch 3l. The intermediate chamber ll is also provided with a cover 32 which is suitably hinged at 33 and also suitably secured in position by any desired expedient, such as a latch 34. If desired, the cover 32 can be modified to serve as a closure for the chamber Il as well as a decorative cover for the entire cleaner casing, in which event the cover 22 can be dispensed with. The chamber l1 is provided with a bottom inlet which is defined by an annular wall 36 which is externally beveled as at 31 (see Fig. 2). Likewise, the wire basket 25 is provided with an inlet dened by a wall 38 which is provided at its lower end with an annular gasket 39. The gasket 39 is preferably madey of resilient material and is internally beveled at 4G to engage or t over the beveled seat 3l. 4| designates a ferrule which is preferably `permanently secured to the inlet 38 of the wire basket 25, as best seen in Fig. 2. v

The bag 24 is also providedwith an elongated interiorly-disposed mouth 42 which extends over the wire basket inlet 38 and the ferrule 4|, and to which it is detachably secured by a clamp ring 43. The upper end of the mouth of the bag is extended upwardly and inwardly, as 'at 44, to form a collapsible closure to -be later further described.

The Wire basket 25 is provided with a combined lifting and locking device comprising a bail '45 having two end pendant members 46, only one of which is shown in the drawings. Each of the pendant members 46 is pivoted to a pin 41 on one of two opposite vertical walls yof the wire basket, and is provided with a cam slot 48. Likewise, each of the corresponding opposite side walls of the intermediate chamber Il is provided with a pin or other suitable projection 5 0 which is adapted to be vengaged bythe cam slot of the respective member 46 when such member 46 is in the position shown in Fig. 1. When the bail 45 is in the position shown in Fig. 3, it is used for lifting the basket out of the suction cleaner casing. The basket 25 is provided with relatively rigid reinforcing elements or braces 53 which may be made of heavy wire, strap or the like, and which are disposed along the bottom and opposite side walls of the basket and engaged at their upper ends by the pins 41. The purpose of the braces 53 is to transmit or assist in transmitting the downward pressure exerted by the members 46 (when the latter are in the position seen in Fig. 1) to insure a tight t between the beveled face 40 of the gasket 39 and the seat 31.

The operation of the suction-creating device in, the chamber I4 draws the dirt-laden air through the nozzle I and the throat I6 into the bag 24. The air ltering through the bag 24 in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 1 exhausts through an opening` 54 and through the fan chamber in the usual manner.

The operation of removing and emptying of the bag is as follows: Beginning with the apparatus as shown in Fig, 1 and assuming that it has become necessary to empty the bag 24, the outer cover 22 is rst removed and then the cover 32 of the intermediate chamber I1 is unlatched and swung into the open position shown in dotted lines at A. The bail 45 is then swung from the slanting position shown in Fig. l to the vertical position shown in Fig. 4, whereupon the pins 50 are disengaged from the cam slots 48 and the basket 25 containing the bag 24 is lifted upwardly out of the intermediate chamber I1. The cover 29 of the basket is then opened to aflord access to the discharge opening 21 of the bag 24. The wire basket 25 is then turned upside down over a piece of paper, or over the receptacle into which the contents of the bag are to be emptied, and the basket 25 and bag 24 are thoroughly shaken. When the bag has been emptied, it is replaced into the position shown in Fig. l, and the closed basket 25 (as shown in Fig. 4) is lowered into the intermediate chamber I1. The bail 45 is then depressed into the slanting position shown in Fig. 1, and the engagement of the cam slots 48 with pins 50 fastens the basket 25 in place and exerts a downward pressure through the basket walls and the braces 53 to insure tight engagement between the face 40 of the gasket 39 and seat 31 of the inlet 36.

If the bag 24 is made of paper, and especially if it is made of inexpensive and nondurable paper which cannot be used repeatedly but has to be discarded as soon as it is lled with dirt, the clamp ring 43 may be omitted.and the mouth 42 of the bag is then merely stretched and slipped over the ferrule 4| to be frictionally engaged therewith. In this construction, when the bag 24 is lled with dirt, it is merely necessary to open the cover 29 of the wire basket 25 and bodily remove the bag 24 for disposal and replacement with another one.

By positioning the inlet end of the bag 24 well above the bottom thereof, the dirt collected in the bag will settle in the lower portions and will be prevented from falling out into the throat I6. This can be accomplished by increasing the height of the ferrule 4I to the desired extent, but in the present embodiment I utilize the mouth extension 44 which is raised into the position shown in Fig- 1 during the operation of the cleaner by the action of the suction-creating device, so as to form an extension funnel through which the dirt-laden air passes, and which, when the suction ceases, collapses upon itself, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, effectively to close the mouth of the bag and prevent the dirt collected therein from falling out.

In Fig. 5, I show a slight modication of this invention in which I dispense with the bail 45, shown in Figs. 1-4, and I provide the cover 29 of the wire basket 25 with a at spring 55 which is anchored at 56 but which has a sliding contact at 51. In this construction, when the cover 32 of the intermediate chamber is pressed down into the closed position shown in Fig. l, it will bear upon the spring 55 thus exerting yielding pressure against the top of the wire basket 25 to retain it in position and to force the gasket 39 into engagement with the seal 13. In this construction, the spring member 55 can also serve as a handle for lifting the basket out of the chamber I1. While I have shown only one spring member 55 in the fragmentary view of Fig. 4, it is to be understood that more than one such spring may be used and that the particular shape or location of the spring can be varied. The braces 53 may or may not be used in this modification.

If, for a more thorough cleaning or for replacement, it becomes necessary to remove the bag 24 from the basket 25, it is merely necessary to disengage the clamp ring 43, whereupon the bag can be altogether removed by opening the cover 2.9 0f the basket 25.

In order to permit use of the cleaner for offthe-floor cleaning, I provide an auxiliary throat 58 which is normally closed at its inner end by a valve 59 and which is adapted to receive, at its outer end 60, any suitable attachment, such as a dusting tool or the like, for cleaning surfaces other than rugs and carpets, or for converting the machine from the usual hand-propelled type to the tank type. As shown in Fig. l, the throat 58 is closed by the valve 59 and the suction created by the fan-motor unit is drawn through the throat I5 and the bag 24. When it is desired to direct the suction through the throat 58, the valve 59 is swung into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 so as to close the throat I6 and establish communication between the throat 58 and the suction-creating device through the bag 24,

It will thus be seen that I have devised a novel construction by means of which the bag 24 and the supporting enclosure 29 can be removed as a unit through a conveniently located large opening and that the bag can be emptied without being removed from the enclosure 29. Also the supporting enclosure 29 with the bag 24 disposed therein can be conveniently carried by the cornbined latch and handle 46 from the point of use to the point of disposal without spilling the contents of the bag. It is further to be noted that the bag is tightly clamped against the dirt inlet 36 by mere movement of the latch handle 46 from the vertical to the slanting position and that the latching arrangement comprising the slots 30 and the pins 56 is such that it is impossible for the user to remove or replace the enclosure 29 except in the prescribed correct manner, thus eliminating the risk of mistakes and simplifying the operation of removing and replacing the dirt bag and its support from and into operative position.

While I have shown my invention in several forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications Without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a suction cleaner, a casing having an air inlet throat extending inwardly and upwardly from the bottom thereof, a foraminous enclosure removably positioned in said casing and having an access opening, a cover for said opening, said enclosure having an inlet throat extending inwardly and upwardly from the bottom thereof, an air filtering container disposed in said enclosure and having a discharge opening accessible through said access opening and an intake mouth, means for connecting the throat of said enclosure and the mouth of said container to said air inlet throat, at a point above the bottom of said casing and said enclosure, a suction-creating device for causing air to fiow through said inlet into said container and outwardly through the walls thereof, there being a second access opening in a wall of said casing large enough to permit withdrawal therethrough of said container and said enclosure as a unit, and a cover for said second access opening.

2. In a suction cleaner, a casing having an air inlet, a foraminous enclosure positioned in said casing and having an opening, a cover for said opening, an air filtering bag disposed in said enclosure, means for connecting the interior of said bag to said inlet, a suction-creating device for causing air to flow through said inlet into said bag and outwardly through the walls thereof, and means for securing said enclosure in position in, and for removing it from, said casing comprising a lifting handle pivoted to said enclosure, a cam slot at one end of said handle, and means carried by a wall of said casing and adapted to engage said slot, said handle being so constructed and arranged that, when said cam slot engages said last-mentioned means, said handle is completely enclosed within said casing.

3. In a suction cleaner, a casing having an air inlet throat extending inwardly and upwardly from the bottom thereof, a foraminous` enclosure disposed in said casing and having a beveled port disposed above the bottom thereof, a dust bag disposed in said enclosure and also having a port secured to and forming a continuation of the port of said enclosure, a suction-creating device for causing air to'flow through said inlet into said bag and outwardly through the walls thereof, and a combined lifting handle and fastening device for clamping the port of said enclosure to the upper end of said throat.

4. In a suction cleaner, a casing having a fan motor compartment, a dust bag compartment communicating with said fan motor compartment, said dust bag compartment having an inlet opening in the bottom thereof and an open top, a closure for said open top, and an air filtering unit disposed in said dust bag compartment and comprising a foraminous enclosure and an air filtering dust bag disposed therein, said enclosure and said bag having air inlet openings registering with each other and with the inlet opening of said compartment, said ,enclosure and said bag being secured to each other around their inlet openings, said bag also having a discharge opening and a dust-tight closure therefor, and Said enclosure having an opening to provide access to the discharge opening of the bag and a closure for said access opening, the open top of said dust bag compartment being of sufficient size to permit said air filtering unit to be withdrawn upwardly from the dust bag compartment after removing the cover of said compartment.

CHARLES H. TAYLOR. 

